Tag certification

MCTS: Hyper-V (70-652) [71-652] Study Guide

by Christopher Kusek (PKGuild) Baltimization, Certification, Hyper-V, Informational, Microsoft, Windows Server

*Update – Be sure to check out the free Training Courses for 70-652! *

5 Free Virtualization Training Courses for the Holidays! (HyperV)

and

How much does Free Microsoft Learning Cost? (Hint: Free!)

Now continue to this old post :)

You’re signed up, you’re in the beta! with 12 days left to take the test!
You get out there, study study study… wait, what am I supposed to study?

Well, first of all you decide to check out that Microsoft E-Learning I mentioned before here:
https://www.microsoftelearning.com/eLearning/courseDetail.aspx?courseId=92459

And let me tell you, this E-learning is very useful, if you’ve never touched ESX, XenServer, or Hyper-V.
If you’ve played with Hyper-V at all, and read the help file you will find it isn’t ALL that useful.
I’m not saying don’t give it a whirl, give it a try… But do NOT expect that to be your keys to the kingdom. You’ll be lucky if it can be used as a dowsing rod to find the moat!
(Wait, do castles even have keys?!)

Okay, so what do I do now?

Here is the first and most important thing you should do.
Read this: Test Information and Support

If ever there was a time in your life to read something like this, read it, look at it, read it again.
Go line by line, if there is something you do not understand (WTF? winrm?!) Learn about it, read about it, study it. Because that little bit of guidance there is one of the first things you ought to do, as you’ll be on a tough road without it.

Now it is pertinent that you get face time, hardcore time spent playing with the following:

  • Hyper-V: Load it up, the console up and running, virtualize some machines.
  • Hyper-v on Core: Atleast know how to do it!
  • SCVMM: If you’ve never touched this, looked at it, give up now. Seriously, give up now!
  • SCOM: This isn’t as important, but atleast be familiar with how SCOM plays with Virtualization
  • MAPS: No, not that song from Rockband, The Microsoft Assessment and Planning Solutions
  • 2008 Clusters: Seriously, Seriously Francine, these Clusters, Seriously. Yes, know the clusters!
  • Networking: Know the difference between the different networking types and when they apply.
  • Disks: Know inside and out all of the details of the different type of disk options.
  • Snapshots: Snapshots are your friend, and your enemy if you think you know them and don’t!
  • CPU Requirements: This cannot be stressed enough. This ISN’T VMware – It’s more like Xen.

    Check out Blogs and other things ofcourse.
    Definitely DO check out the SCVMM Videos (Thanks to Jeff Webb for mentioning the link)

    If by trial, jury and virtue – You wholly understand each of these concepts, ideas and have a grasp of Virtualization, you should be fine. Just by installing Hyper-V, you’ll be set for 25% of the questions. The same can be said of the installation of SCVMM as well.

    I’m not at liberty to share explicit details of the exam, which is why I reference back to the ‘study notes’, as these were more or less on the ball – Read each line if you don’t understand it, plan to do poorly on that question(s)!

    Good Luck!

    • Do you have what it takes to be a Master?

    by Christopher Kusek (PKGuild) Exchange, Informational, Microsoft, SQL, Windows Server

    That’s right! New Mastery in the form of a “Master” Cert.
    It is rumoured to be above the current MCITP, and equally above the old-school MCSE, yet below (and a pre-requisite) of the MCA (Architect).

    It will be offered in 3 varieties.

  • Exchange Server 2007
  • SQL Server 2008
  • Windows Server 2008

    • It is covered at an EXTREMELY high-level here at Microsoft Certified Master Program
    And also is briefly mentioned here on Trika’s Blog

    There is a little bit of depth to be found here:
    http://www.microsoft.com/learning/mcp/master/products/default.mspx

    However, outside of these high-level ideas of it, and its very narrow focus on a set of core technologies (Hey, where is my MOSS Mastery?!)

    It appears to be just another Certification to join the pile – definitely a precursor to the MCA with these requirements:

    To achieve Master certification, candidates must fulfill the following training requirements:

  • Attendance of required sessions
  • Successful completion of all in-class (written and lab) exams
  • Successful completion of qualification lab exam

    • And if history has shown us anything, when you have ‘class attendance requirements’ that usually translates into “This is going to cost you some serious $$$” Not only from ‘attendance’ but also from your inability to be producing revenue or working as you’re going to classes.

    Perhaps this is trying to go the way of the “Masters” programs available within the ‘Educational’ community, but today you can phone that in, and the technology and extreme depth this is looking to promote is not something earned in the classroom – It’s earned in the trenches.

    Who knows how this will be implemented, we’ll certainly find out as time moves on – Adoption is key though – Look at the CCIE Program for Cisco…

    Run, don’t walk to sign up for the Hyper-V Beta Exam 71-652! (See Trika’s Blog)

    by Christopher Kusek (PKGuild) Baltimization, Hyper-V, Informational, Microsoft

    Yep, that’s right! The Virt Exam (071-652) has been posted on Trika’s Blog, on a pure First-Come-First-Serve basis… which is the type of action of “Act Fast!”

    Trika’s Post on 71-652 Hyper-V Beta Exam

    Seriously, run don’t walk on over to Trika’s blog for this opportunity to partake in the Hyper-V beta!

    I personally am on hook to take it in a few weeks… Already signed up with Prometric! :)


    (Inline are the details copied from Trika’s Blog!)

    *** Update!***

    Special thanks to Priscila Silva in MCS for links to the E-Learning for Virtualization (Trika Comments!)

    https://www.microsoftelearning.com/eLearning/courseDetail.aspx?courseId=84700
    https://www.microsoftelearning.com/eLearning/courseDetail.aspx?courseId=92459

    Read More

    Deja Vu – Microsoft removes expiration of MCTS, MCITP, and MCPD certifications

    by Christopher Kusek (PKGuild) Baltimization, Informational, Microsoft

    We all knew on the docket that after 3 years, there would be a need to re-certify in order to continue maintaining the “Certification” status for the new Microsoft Certified Technical Specialist, Microsoft Certified IT Professional and the Microsoft Certified Professional Developer.

    We accepted this as the MS Certs going the way the Cisco Certs, but then – The rules have changed again!

    Dear Microsoft Certified Professional,

    We are pleased to inform you about a recent Microsoft Certification policy change that affects your Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP) or Microsoft Certified Professional Developer (MCPD) credential.

    In response to customer feedback, Microsoft has eliminated the requirement to recertify, or refresh, your MCITP or MCPD certification every three years. This is good news for you; there is no action required to maintain the certifications you hold today.

    The certification lifecycle

    The Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS), MCITP, and MCPD credentials—Microsoft certifications for new technologies—are aligned with the Microsoft product lifecycle, and will retire when Microsoft discontinues mainstream support for the underlying technology. When a certification that you have earned retires, the record of your certification remains on your transcript, allowing you to retain documentation of your certification history.

    This is great news for those of us who want to upgrade our certs WHEN we want to, instead of by some cycle as if we’ve suddenly forgotten our skill-sets!

    So once again, thank you Microsoft for listening to the industry and providing an path of excellence for others to follow!